iPod Touch Schoolwide Implementation
There are a number of posts from individuals interested in using iPod Touches for teaching and Learning. At Culbreth Middle in Chapel Hill, NC we began a pilot this past August to place the iPod Touch in the hands of staff and students.
Our staff development for faculty to roll out the new technology centered on teacher coaches leading their groups in exploration through professional learning communities.
Our AVID students use the iPod Touch in the AVID classroom and in all other courses. They have piloted this program, using the iPod Touches daily for note taking, keeping individual agendas, translation for world languages, and accessing research through the Internet. In addition, our AVID students use many of the apps that teachers sync with these mobile devices. As student leaders, they’ve understood their responsibility to work and share this learning tool in collaborative groups.
This winter we were able to add iPod Touch labs for each of our seven interdisciplinary teams and two labs for our exploratory and resource teams. The interdisciplinary grade level iPod Touch labs are housed with each team and shared among the four content teachers (math, language arts, science, and social studies). These teachers plan together so that their students have access throughout each day. They access the internet as needed and use many apps as well.
Teacher current app favorites include: WordBook, Thesaurus, USA, Countries, Brain Tuner, Blanks, Whiteboard, CoinToss, Lose It!, Word Warp, FlipBook Lite. Of course they are using the included apps: Calendar, Calculator, Notes, Clock, YouTube throughout each day.
We held an iPod Touch Day last week with visitors from all over the state and from across the country. We even had a group from the UK come see our students and teachers in action with the iPod Touch. With almost 400 iPod Touches now in use at Culbreth, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned and what we’re learning.
Our staff development for faculty to roll out the new technology centered on teacher coaches leading their groups in exploration through professional learning communities.
Our AVID students use the iPod Touch in the AVID classroom and in all other courses. They have piloted this program, using the iPod Touches daily for note taking, keeping individual agendas, translation for world languages, and accessing research through the Internet. In addition, our AVID students use many of the apps that teachers sync with these mobile devices. As student leaders, they’ve understood their responsibility to work and share this learning tool in collaborative groups.
This winter we were able to add iPod Touch labs for each of our seven interdisciplinary teams and two labs for our exploratory and resource teams. The interdisciplinary grade level iPod Touch labs are housed with each team and shared among the four content teachers (math, language arts, science, and social studies). These teachers plan together so that their students have access throughout each day. They access the internet as needed and use many apps as well.
Teacher current app favorites include: WordBook, Thesaurus, USA, Countries, Brain Tuner, Blanks, Whiteboard, CoinToss, Lose It!, Word Warp, FlipBook Lite. Of course they are using the included apps: Calendar, Calculator, Notes, Clock, YouTube throughout each day.
We held an iPod Touch Day last week with visitors from all over the state and from across the country. We even had a group from the UK come see our students and teachers in action with the iPod Touch. With almost 400 iPod Touches now in use at Culbreth, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned and what we’re learning.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Deon Scanlon on
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Hi Susan
This is the one we used at the start of the year.
Many of the ideas were contributed by the students, as they had access to them for a month or so before we put this out.
We also looked at some ICT use policies of other schools, too.
Bear in mind, that our students own their own iTouches, so that may influence some decisions we have made. Mind you , the iPod section is very minor.
We initially provided open-slather access (filtered by our school proxy server, Getbusi) and didn't give the students any directions as to what they could/could not do at school.
After they started downloading podcasts left, right and centre, we made it know that this was not acceptable - only due to the speedy disappearance of our monthly download limit!
Hope some of this may help... - Attachments:
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ICTPolicy-Contract.doc, 66 KB
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Permalink Reply by Susan Wells on
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Deon,
We're finalizing our use agreement for 1to1 including individual owned and school owned. I'm not sure I remembered to thank you, so wanted to do so now. All examples are really helpful as we pull this final doc together. I appreciate your sharing!
Best,
Susan
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Also, make USB cables mandatory to bring to school. I know you have carts, but you want to be able to charge and use at the same time.
It is worth limiting (or trying to!) what they put on their iPods. I have a student who has spent more than $80 on apps, and keeps syncing with his computer at home to get them back on, whilst I keep re-syncing it at school to get the apps I want him to have. This is our fault, because we allowed them to do what they wanted for a term. It is difficult to regulate when the students OWN the iPods. This is where the point Indigo196 makes about Apple locking stuff down is frustrating. Syncing is not efficient if done over a number of different machines.
How are you planning to cope with that, with so many iPods? Will they all be identical, or will teachers be responsible for what goes on them?
If a teacher wants students to access a certain app, do they have to apply in advance, or can they just add them individually?
Also, how do you deal with privacy/security/safe use?
What filtering software do you use?
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I don't get why you care at all what decisions others make?
You aren't informing anyone of anything, because you can bypass all these problems you state by jailbreaking your iPod/phone if you wish.
Can you give an example of what a teacher may wish to do with an itouch that apple prevents us from doing? What other devices provide time-efficient access to over 65000 apps for a handheld device?
Id be interest to hear Susan's take on this, seeing as though she has actually been involved in developing some apps.
I agree that there is some frustration involved in the app approval process (look up Bjango's iStat app problem) but they don't impact upon what we are doing with them in schools.
Here's a thought for you - downtime for Apple devices is around 10% less than Windows machines in a school setting. I think it's worth a little restriction for that kind of reliability.
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I'm interested in the significant issues you have had with Apple computers. What kind of things?
The comment I made was based upon tech support in a school that uses Mac and Windows computers. They claim to spend significantly more time working on Windows machines than Apples.
For me, in 15 years I have not had to get external support for a Macintosh computer, other than to repair breakages. Everything is within the means of an untrained, non-ICT specialist teacher (ie myself). But, as you say, that discussion isn't related to this forum!
Thanks for your comments!
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Permalink Reply by Jim Hoffman on
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Apple has explained their position to the FCC concerning the App Store approval process.
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/apple-answers-fcc-questions/
Like it or hate it, the app store is providing 60,000 plus apps, many of which educators will find useful.
The approval process is not a concern to me. My biggest concern is finding great apps among the sea of 60,000. Hopefully educators can create forums to share the treasures they have found.
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We have two classroom sets of 20 iPod touch's. We have not put anything in place yet to allow students to take one home for the evening. Anybody have check out policies, AUPs, or any other tips to add?
By the way, thanks to all of you who have commented in the past. I hope I can be helpful to you in the future.
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Permalink Reply by Sandy on
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We bought 30 Touches for a government/us history teacher. Then got the Tribeam cart that will allow us to sync all 30 at one time. We are using one MacBook for all syncing.
At this time, students cannot take them home, but I'm expecting to see a hybrid develop as many of our kids already have Touches. I can see groups forming around those who have them so that taking them out won't be necessary.
We'll see how it goes.
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Permalink Reply by Keith on
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We are wondering the same thing about the kids who want to use their own iPods and how that is going to work. We also were wondering about an AUP and check out policies that Jim was talking about. Right now we are just going to work through it. If we come up with any insight I will let y'all know! We started a Ning for our Professional development classes if anyone wants to check it out. http://ipodforeducators.ning.com/
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A new app some you may have seen but I wanted to share. It's a free one developed by the University of Maryland's Human Computer Interaction Lab, StoryKit. Student's are able to create electronic storybooks. Very cool and really applicable across grade levels.
Enjoy!
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Permalink Reply by Eric Roussel on
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Hi Susan
I have been researching iTouches and their apps for possible implementation across our school for a while now and I came across this forum and I have been amazed by the valuable and informative information that is shared. You are to be congratulated for making it easier for newbies in this relatively new field. I will keep a keen eye on this forum and hopefully will be able to contribute in the near future.
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Eric,
We're hosting an iPod touch day at Culbreth on Oct. 8th. You can sign up through Apple. You're welcome to join us. We'll have staff presenting across curricular areas on their use of the mobile device.
I'll post info and photos after the event for people who couldn't get to NC.
Best,
Susan
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